Blight
From Vacant Property to Affordable Housing Development
The city of St. Petersburg provides a model for transforming blight to a blessing.
Measuring the Effect of Blight Remediation Programs
Tulane researchers received major funding support from the National Institutes of Health to study the effects of blight remediation on youth and family violence.
Court Restores 'Doors and Windows' Code Enforcement Ordinance in Philadelphia
One of Philadelphia's most potent code enforcement tools is back in effect after the state Supreme Court overturned a previous ruling by a lower court.
Why L.A.'s Boyle Heights Matters to Anti-Gentrification Activists
The historically Latino working class neighborhood is a frequent touchstone in debates over gentrification in Los Angeles. That history goes back decades and colors residents' perceptions.
Are Vacancy Taxes a 'Blunt Instrument'?
A number of cities are considering hiking up taxes on vacant properties. But does that actually lead to a reduction in blight?
Where Vacant Properties Are Still Increasing in Number
In some cities and neighborhoods, the number of vacant properties is the only thing growing.
St. Louis Groups Come Together to Form Neighborhood Vacancy Coalition
Legal and community groups in St. Louis align to curb ill-effects of the city's many vacant properties.
Editorial Opposes Use of Eminent Domain to Give Property to For-Profit Developer
The borough of Emerson, New Jersey is testing the limits of eminent domain.
Long Beach Urban Farming Initiative Targets Vacant Lots
A California policy lets cities offer tax incentives to landowners who put vacant lots to use as urban farms or gardens. Long Beach is the latest comer, but the uptake has been sluggish elsewhere.
A Detroit Neighborhood 'Sentenced to Die'
A handful of Delray residents refuse to be displaced by industry, but the plan for a new bridge may mean they don't have a choice.
How People Talk About Blight and Vacancies
The kinds of words and arguments people use to describe blight, foreclosure, and eviction reveals a lot of society's biases.
Blight Is a Bad Word
What makes one building worth saving and another worth destroying? Strong Towns' Rachel Quednau explores the line between destruction and preservation.
D.C. Auditor Reveals Blight Enforcement Shortcomings
There's a surprising amount of vacancies and blight in the nation's capital, and District officials aren't doing everything in their power to address the challenge.
Advocates Tout Community Land Trusts for Solutions to Displacement, Blight
Community land trusts are a favorite tool of advocates who want to take a communitarian approach to property and public space in cities facing the challenges of population decline, blight, and gentrification.
Artificial Intelligence Unlocks the Secrets of Neighborhood Change
Researchers at MIT and Harvard believe that their computer vision system (i.e., artificial intelligence) helps reveal fundamental characteristics of neighborhood change.
Mayor Duggan Lays Out Eight Principles for Detroit's Redevelopment
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan made a splash this week by pronouncing a vision to create a Detroit that is 'one city for all of us.'
An Ambitious Revitalization Partnership in Detroit
Bringing together the city, developers, and philanthropic support, Fitz Forward aims to redevelop 300 parcels. Backers hope it will serve as a model for other neighborhoods.
Using Big Data to Identify Problem Properties
In New York state, municipalities can apply to use a new tool that gathers property data and sifts for red flags. The intent is to identify potential blight before it sets in.
Memphis's Four-Point Plan to Eliminate Blight
Memphis hopes its coordinated action plan on blight can be a model for cities nationwide.
Ohio Bans the Use of Plywood to Board Up Vacant Buildings
The state of Ohio is expanding a practice used by the Fannie Mae to counter the negative effects of vacancies and blight.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
